Sliding control device for a door



Feb. 20, 1968 o. c. ECKEL 3,369,325

SLIDING CONTROL DEVICE FOR A DOOR Filed Jan. 4, 1966 Ks- I,

United States Patent 3,369,325 SLIDING CONTROL DEVICE FOR A DOOR Oliver C. Eckel, Weston, Mass. (P.O. Box 226, Cambridge, Mass. 02138) Filed Jan. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 518,711 6 Claims. (Cl. 49-386) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door in combination with a head jamb having respectively springs and guides that cooperate to limit outward movement of the door and return it automatically to normal position. Guides are attached to the head jamb opposite each other, being slightly spaced apart, one being forward of the other. Two spring leaves are attached to a swinging door and normally lie fiat with portions between said guides. Opening the door causes the leaves to slide and portions of them between the door and guides are distorted. The tension thus created will cause the door, upon release, to automatically return to closed position.

This invention relates to a sliding control device for a door.

Reference is made to my patent No. 3,331,160 dated July 18, 1967, for a door with control device.

One object of my invention is to provide a door with an improved sliding control device whereby simple spring leaf means may move, by sliding between and in contact with oppositely disposed guides, to a distorted tension position as the door is opened, and likewise return to normal or straight position as the door automatically closes when freed.

Another object is to provide guide means attachable to a door jamb and having bearing surfaces for said spring means that guides or retains the latter in operative position as a door is opened and closed always keeping a portion thereof fiat and in contact with the bearing surfaces.

A further object is to provide such guide means that is simple and certain in operation, the cost of manufacture is relatively low, and the installation of which is simple.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of a door in normal position, and a door jamb, with my sliding control device attached to the latter.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, the dash lines showing a door, and also the spring leaves of said control device in two different positions as the door is being opened.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, front elevational view similar to FIG. 1; but showing a modified form of control device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and including the dash lines showing said door, and also said spring leaves, as in said FIG. 2.

As illustrated, my door has the usual door body having a movable supporting member 12 such as a hollow, rotatable post shown, and that could be rotatably set in a bearing, not shown, or otherwise movably mounted in other well known ways. Outside of said door body is the usual head jamb 14, there being shown the upper frame thereof. A metal or plastic plug 16 extends partly into "ice said post 12 and an upper portion movably extends into said jamb. It is held by a pin 20 that extends through a lower part thereof and is set in said post. Said plug 16 has a slot 22 to receive spring leaves 24 and 26 later described.

As shown, a control device has a lower spring leaf 24 and an upper spring leaf 26, both of which, at one end, extend into said slot 22, being fixed thereto by a pin 28 extending through said plug, slot and spring leaves. While one spring leaf could serve the purpose, it is desirable to have more than one.

A rear retainer or guide 32 is firmly attached to said jamb 14 by screws 34. Forwardly thereof and oppositely disposed a similar retainer or guide 36 is slightly spaced as at 38 from said retainer or guide 32, being firmly attached to said jamb by screws 40. Said. guides 32 and Y36 rest on the top surface of said jamb and each has, as shown, an intermediate, flat bearing surface which are in contact with and retain said movable spring leaves 24 and 26 in said space 38, permitting a sliding movement of said leaves as later explained.

In said FIGS. 3 and 4 a modified form of guides or retainers is shown. A roller guide 44 is rotatably mounted on a bearing portion 47 of a screw 46 that fastens said guide 44 to said jamb 14. A similar roller guide 48 is rotatably mounted on a bearing portion 51 of a screw 50 that extends into said jamb.

Forwardly of and spaced slightly from said guide 44 is a similar roller guide 52 that is rotatably mounted on a bearing portion 55 of a screw 54 that extends into said jamb. Also forwardly of and spaced slightly from said guide 48 is a similar roller guide 56 that is rotatably mounted on a bearing portion 59 of a screw 58 that extends into said jamb. Said spring leaves 24 and 26 movably extend through the respective spaces between the rear guides 44 and 48 and the front guides 52 and 56, and remain in contact with said guides.

While I show four roller guides, which are desirable, the invention could serve its purpose if only one pair of oppositely disposed roller guides, such as guides 48 and 56, were used.

In normal, closed-door position said spring leaves 24 and 26 lie fiat or horizontally and extend between said guides 32 and 36 shown in said FIG. 2. They likewise lie between said rear guides 44, 48 and said front guides 52 and 56, shown in said FIG. 4. The extreme ends of said leaves extend to the point 60 in normal position, which is at the far left in the drawings.

When the door is partly opened, portions of said leaves 24 and 26 are shown partly bent as indicated by the intermediate dash lines 24 and 26 next above the full horizontal lines 24 and 26. At this position the extreme ends of said leaves are in the position indicated at 62, that is, they are farther inwardly 0r nearer said guides, as shown in either FIGS. 2 or 4.

When the door is fully open, said leaves are in the position at the farthest rearward point shown by the dash lines 24 and 26, and the end extremities are positioned as at 64.

During the closing movement of the door said spring leaves 24 and 26 move therewith, as they freely slide between said guides shown in said FIGS. 2 and 4 until normal horizontal position is reached.

Said leaves may be made of spring steel that is well known, or any other suitable, resilient material that permits considerable bending or distortion when pressure is applied to them. The portions that slide between said guides may have a lubricant applied to them to facilitate the sliding movement.

What I claim is:

1. A door in combination with a head jamb spaced from the top margin of said door, two guides oppositely disposed and spaced apart attached to said head jamb having contacting surfaces extending horizontally, said door comprising a body having a movable supporting member pivotally mounting the door, said guide being attached to said head jamb at a point spaced from the pivot axis of said supporting member, a control device embodying a spring leaf an end portion of which is attached to said supporting member, another portion of said leaf beyond said end portion slidably and normally extending horizontally between in contact with and beyond said guides.

2. A door in combination with a door jamb as set forth in claim 1, said guide having contacting surfaces intermediate opposite ends thereof only and contacting said leaf when the latter is in normal and operative positions.

3. A door in combination with a door jamb as set forth in claim 1, said guides having an endless, curved, contacting surface.

4. A door in combination with a door jamb as set forth in claim 1, and a second spring leaf in contact with the first-mentioned leaf an end portion of which is attached to said supporting member and another portion of which and a portion of said first mentioned guide slidably extend between and contact said guides 5. A door in combination with a door jamb as set forth in claim 1, said guides being two pairs of rollers rotatably attached to said door jamb, the said guides of each pair being oppositely disposed and one being forward of said leaf and the other being rearwardly thereof, said pairs being laterally disposed.

6. A door in combination with a door jamb as set forth in claim 1, said guides being rollers rotatably attached to said head jamb at opposite sides of said leaf.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,071 11/1911 Potter 1672 2,279,572 4/1942 Kann 49386 2,584,404 2/1952 Webb 16-72 X KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner. 

